Dream Fighters
by zelda-chic04
Summary: Shikamaru travels about with Naruto, Sakura and Ino to earn money by doing various missions. Temari, the princess, is captured and the land is now terrorized by demons and they're to save her. One will not survive this. Who?
1. Chapter 1

**Author's note:** w00t! A new story! This is the one I've been talking about I've been writing (if you've been reading my other fic, The Clouds Are Nice, you'll know what I'm talking about). It's a Shika/Tema story in a round-about way. Once you readthe first coupleyou'll understand why. Just toforewarn you guys, this isn't set in the normal Naruto setting; it's a fantasy-type story, but I kept the people in their character, so no extreme OOCness. What I mean is that it's a cross between TheLegend of Zelda, Fire Emblem, Final Fantasy, Legend ofDragoon, etc. Actually, any characters can be used in this story it's just that I had a dream - which of course inspired this fan fic - (one out of two reasons for the title)and it involved the Naruto characters so I decided to use them anyway. I hope you all enjoy this new story of mine, and if it gets off the ground, i'll keep writing it! ENJOY!

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**Disclaimer: **I do not own Naruto

Dream Fighters

**Chapter 1**

_The sky was profoundly dark and an ominous black smoke was rising into the sky. An evil aura could be felt all around. There, in an open court yard of the forsaken castle, was a young man fighting for his life. He was fighting against a man of pure evil. That man was the cause of the foreboding darkness lurking around. He also freed countless amounts of demons that terrorize the people of the nearby villages. _

_The princess of the castle was being held in a far away room that was located in a tall tower. She had been captured by the evil man and sealed into a large crystal so she for sure couldn't escape or call for help._

_In a slight break from fighting, the young man looked far into the distance and saw a dim light coming from a high up window._ That must be where the princess is._ He thought to himself._

"_Pay attention fool!" The evil man shouted. "If you wish to defeat me, then fight me like a man!" He coaxed again then lunged for the young man with his sword raised._

"_Shit!" The young man exclaimed as he just barely escaped the blade's edge. _

_Those couple seconds of looking up at the tower cost the young man dearly. He had lost his concentration and couldn't focus on returning the strikes using his own sword._

"_Come at me you coward!" The evil man chided once more. "You'll never save your princess at this rate!"_

_The young man groaned at the man's statement. He didn't say anything in return, but just kept moving to barely miss the evil man's sword. Out of no where a loud scream was heard; it sounded like one of the young man's teammates. _

"_What the-" The young man quietly said to himself after he jumped out of dodge. Once he felt he was safe for the moment, the young man looked into the direction of where the scream came from._

"_FOOL!" The evil man bellowed while running for the young man again. _

_It was too late. As the young man turned to face the evil man again, the sword pierced right through his chest and came out on the other side…._

"Shikamaru…wake up Shikamaru!" A young woman shrieked, trying to wake the young man up.

He opened his eyes and slowly sat up. Now sitting up, Shikamaru rubbed his eyes to get a better vision of the one who woke him up. It was Yamanaka Ino. She's from a clan who are half human, half Wyvern. Because of that she can fly and even transform into a Wyvern during battle. Her only physical trait that tells her apart from normal humans is the dragon-like wings on her back.

"Huh? What's going on?" Shikamaru groggily asked.

"You were having one of your 'dreams' again." Ino quickly responded as she repositioned herself next to Shikamaru.

"What are you doing here?" Shikamaru asked again, ignoring her. "Where's Sakura and Naruto?"

Ino made a disgusted look, got up, and placed her hands on her hips. "They're downstairs eating breakfast."

Shikamaru yawned. "Oh…so then why aren't you with them?"

Ino forcefully replanted her hands. "I was obligated to stay up here until you woke up. You know how your dreams can get." She responded, trying to sound authentic.

"Whatever." Shikamaru unemotionally responded. _She's bullshitting again. She always does this; lying and trying to act innocent just so she can be alone with me. Feh…Ino knows very well that I don't like her in any way. She's lucky that I like her enough just to keep her on this team. _Shikamaru went over in his mind. "Don't wake me up unless it's serious," He warned after getting up out of his bed. "How many times do I have to tell you?"

Ino stepped back from Shikamaru after his statement. "But it was serious!" She cried out. Shikamaru stopped and looked at Ino. "You were sweating and breathing really heavily along with making sudden moves and inaudible sounds. Then out of no where you stopped completely and even stopped breathing." Ino informed with actual concern in her voice. "I got scared…."

Shikamaru faced away from Ino and wiped his forehead with his hand. There was sweat present. _Strange. For once she's actually right. I never know when to trust and believe her…how troublesome. Now that I think about it, my dream WAS pretty serious. I don't know what to make of it since the dream was pretty out there. _"C'mon, they're waiting for us." Shikamaru addressed and walked out of the room.

Ino sighed and shook her head. "Men. He's so playing hard-to-get with me." She smirked. _I'll make him give in no matter what!_

Ever since he was a small baby, Shikamaru had been plagued with dreams that would chronically foretell some sort of future. His parents were completely normal, but it was said that Shikamaru's mother was cursed by an evil spirit which would cause the baby to inherit the curse she was bestowed. Whatever the child would dream, that is what would happen in reality. In a bittersweet decision, his mother gave up her life right after her baby was born so that the curse would bring fortune instead of grief. Shikamaru's father was gravened by this and trained his son very hard to fight from a young age. At the height of the training, Shikamaru's father went missing and found dead by a local river. Soon after, Shikamaru went out on his own to avenge his parents' deaths. When he found out that his father actually committed suicide and that the spirit that had cursed his mother had already been sealed, Shikamaru found some wandering mercenaries to form a small team to fight and complete deeds and missions assigned by customers.

Unfortunately, the seal that Shikamaru's mother gave to protect her son would lose its strength and finally bring about the curse. That would lead up to now when Shikamaru has been suffering from nightmare-like dreams for a couple of weeks now. Luckily, none of them have occurred…yet.

Arriving in the quaint mess hall of the Inn, Ino and Shikamaru found their teammates and joined them at the table they were at. The girl, who had pink hair and an outfit to match, was sitting comfortably and eating what appeared to porridge. Her name is Haruno Sakura. She was the youngest of the group but provided much need medical help, and also supplied some strength with her magical powers during battle. Next to her was a very adventurous and stubborn blonde boy who went by the name of Uzumaki Naruto. He was the "go-getter" of the group and never thought before he acted. Besides his obnoxious behavior, Naruto has great ambition and strength which helps their four-man team out a lot – despite his immaturity.

Shikamaru sat down across from Naruto and sighed. Almost immediately, the old lady innkeeper shuffled in and set a bowl each in front of Shikamaru and Ino. She smiled and – just as quickly as she came – left. Naruto was pouting and not eating his breakfast.

Sakura glanced over at Naruto and noticed he wasn't eating. "Eat your food, Naruto!" She scolded and hit him over the head.

"OW! Damn it! It's not my fault that everywhere we go they serve us porridge! I'm a warrior and I don't need this sissy food!" Naruto boasted to Sakura as he rubbed his head.

A sweat drop ran down everyone's forehead.

"You know Naruto, there are less fortunate people such as children who don't have food to eat." Ino lectured then looked at Shikamaru starry-eyed. She was hoping that would impress him.

Shikamaru didn't pay any attention to Ino, but felt a vibe come from her. "Did you say something?"

"Wha-!" Ino fumed and clenched her fist. _How dare he be so nonchalant! He so heard me!_

"You know you're not going to get anywhere with him if you keep acting like that, Ino." Naruto snickered then winked.

"Hmpf!" She huffed and turned around to face away from everyone. "Who are you to tell me that?"

"If you want him so bad, you have to be soft and casual…like this, right Sakura-chan?" Naruto ignored Ino and scooted closer to Sakura to put his arm around her.

"Hands off dipweed!" Sakura shouted then hit Naruto again, this time making him fly into the wall.

Shikamaru heard everything that went on but attempted to ignore it. He sighed and focused on eating his breakfast. _How did I get stuck with this crowd?_ Shikamaru began to think. _I got Ino who's not only a woman, but a woman who has very obvious feelings for and is quite obsessed. She really creeps me out. Then there's Naruto. He's always so loud and troublesome and causes half of our battles because he feels the need to fight. _Shikamaru continued to think as he watched Naruto climb back up onto the bench seat. _And lastly there's Sakura. Well…she is a woman, but…nonetheless she's the sane one out of the three. She and Naruto are always bickering and fighting about something. How troublesome._

"Shikamaru, where do you think we should be heading to next?" Sakura asked, breaking Shikamaru's thoughts. "I mean, we didn't get much money from the last mission and there aren't anymore posted around town to do. I'm just glad we got enough to be able to stay in this Inn."

Shikamaru, with his spoon still in his mouth, looked up at Sakura. She grimaced and he took it out. "I suppose we should leave this afternoon. The town not far from here always has some decent missions to do. Or, at least that's what I've been told. So if the money's good, we'll camp there for a while." Shikamaru answered then went back to his porridge. _Now I can see why Naruto wasn't eating this. It tastes like crap._ He cringed and continued to forcefully eat it.

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"Breakfast is ready, m'lady." The servant-maid addressed to the princess.

"Thanks." She sighed and turned away from the window she was staring out of.

Before heading on down to join her family, the princess went into her closet and changed from her nightgown to her usual day attire. It was your typical princess-cut dress in her favorite color, lavender. She examined herself in the mirror then sighed again.

_It annoys me how everyone's trying to keep me so lady-like. I have fighting abilities just like my brothers, so I don't see why I can't train with them anymore. _The princess complained to herself. _It's still a good thing my parents don't know about me secretly training with Baki-sensei. They won't change me that easily. _She smirked and walked out.

"You're late Temari!" The Queen, her mother, scolded when she finally arrived.

"Honestly, what are we going to do with you? Do you actually think you'll be able to inherit my position with your lack of posterity and respect?" The King, Temari's father, warned, not even looking up from his plate of eggs and ham.

Temari rolled her eyes and ignored her parents. _It's always the same thing every time! Blah, blah, blah! _She said to herself after she was permitted to sit down by her father. Temari was seated across from her two younger brothers, Kankuro and Gaara.

Gaara paid no attention to his family and just tended to his breakfast. Kankuro on the other hand was quickly snickering to himself. "What's been with you lately, Temari? Can't you pick out what to wear anymore? What happened to being a tomboy?" He joked. Gaara just shook his head.

Temari growled but kept her thoughts to herself. _Damn him! Ever since mom and dad have been increasingly strict about what I do and being more feminine because I'm "of age", Kankuro has been on my ass._

"Kankuro! Mind your manners!" Their mother scolded again. "Temari needs to finally start developing into a disciplined, proper woman so can be able to receive a suitor for when she takes over the crown."

Temari heavily groaned at her mother's words. _This is so annoying._

Kankuro continued to laugh and got increasingly louder. "That's great! Finally seeing Temari as a 'proper woman' will be the event of the century!"

"QUIET! You are out of line, Kankuro!" The King finally snapped.

Kankuro immediately stopped and sheepishly sunk into his chair.

"What has gotten into you lately? This isn't like you." Gaara quietly asked. Kankuro didn't reply but instead paid attention to his meal.

Temari slammed her hands on the table and stood up. "Please excuse me." She said and started to walk.

"But you've hardly touched your food!" Her mother pointed out.

"I'm not hungry." Temari sharply answered and finally left the room

…_Several_ hours later Temari was standing out on her balcony looking down at the surrounding town. It was busy with the shopkeepers selling their products along with the townsfolk walking about. Temari stared at all the people in admiration. Not because she wanted to be like them, like most princesses would, but because she was amazed at how they ran their lives; foolishly, she thought.

"Strange. There's no one in the courtyard." Temari said after deviating her attention to the courtyard right below her."

Temari shrugged it off and went into her room. She walked past her standing mirror and stopped to look at herself. "My parents do have a point, I guess, but I still don't agree with them fully. I suppose it wouldn't hurt to talk to them and come to some agreement." Temari settled on the decision and made her way to find her parents, or at least one to start with.

She first entered the King's book room to find her father. It was his favorite room for when he liked to relax and settle down. When Temari looked around the room she couldn't find her father anywhere. Not even a maid was in there cleaning.

_That's weird. More often than none, father's always in this room when not eating or meeting with an official._ Temari thought. _It's possible that he and mother are in the throne room talking with someone. I should go there to check next._

Temari left the book room and journeyed to where the throne room was located. The whole time Temari felt something not right deep inside her. "Where is everyone? There's ALWAYS someone walking down the halls and doing various things. I'm getting the feeling that something's not right and I don't like it." She said to herself and picked up the pace until she reached the room.

No soldiers were outside the doors like they should've been. Temari grew even more concerned. _This can't be good! This bad feeling I'm getting isn't going away. It just keeps getting worse. _Temari took in a deep breath and reassured herself. _Get a hold of yourself! You're probably just getting worked up over nothing. _She paused for a moment and put her ear on the door. _I can't hear anything._

Temari took in another deep breath to slow down her rapidly beating heart and slowly opened one of the double doors. Who knew if her parents were in a meeting? While peeking her head into the room, Temari quickly surveyed the area and noticed her parents sitting in their thrones.

_Whew. So they're were in here all right after all._ Temari sighed in relief even though she was too far away to tell how her parents truly were. "Um…I'm sorry to about the interruption, but…I need to talk to you about something." She began to say as she stepped inside and started walking down the long room.

Despite her prior positive thoughts about her parents, Temari noticed them not moving or acknowledging her presence. Her instinctual feelings about something not being right finally reached its peak.

"Mother? Father" Temari softly called. No response.

She picked up her pace slightly to reach her parents. There was a lot of debris on the cold marble floor as Temari walked on. Temari looked up and saw two man-sized holes in the ceiling.

_What's going on? _She thought.

Temari took a few more steps and then noticed something that would haunt her for the rest of her life. Right in front of her was a slowly growing stream of blood. Temari held her breath and looked up. There her parents, the King and Queen of Konoha, were blood stained and slouched over in their thrones. Their blood was also violently splattered everywhere along with their necks being cut wide open.

_No…no! This can't be happening. This has to be a dream!_ Temari tried to convince herself. Tears were now starting to flow out of her eyes. "Mom! Dad! NO! OH MY GAWD!" She shouted and shook her head in disbelief. Temari covered her mouth and ran as fast as she could out of the room. _I'm going to be sick…._

The horrid images of her brutally murdered parents replayed over and over again in Temari's mind. She was so disoriented that she began to stumble down the hallway.

"Something, please help! My…parents…. Help…." Temari struggled to shout out. Between the images, shock and the need to find help, Temari's body began to rapidly weaken. Before Temari knew it she fell onto the cold stone floor unconsciously.


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note:** YO! W00t! Looks like I might just have to continue writing this story now! And that's a good thing because I'm really loving this story and I know you will too! Don't forget to check out my other story **_The Clouds Are Nice_** if any of you readers out there haven't read it yet. Anyway, onto the few reviews I got:

**iNxLuVxWiDxSanDiego:** Congrats on being first! I'm glad you like the story!

**Heart of pure ruby:** Yay! I'm glad you're reading this fic too! It makes me happy. Much like eating jelly beans. OK...back on subject...lol...yeah, it is weird seeing Temari as a princess and a little bit more feminine, but if you think about it, in some of the episodes that she's in, she did act passive instead of her usual aggressive fighting. She's still the princess that doesn't need saving and doesn't let anyone trample over her, I haven't changed that! I do enjoy writing fight scenes because I like to vividly describe things so that the reader can get a detailed visual.

**Setsuna-ka:** If you've read any other of my good fics, you'd know that I am the queen of suspense. I love making cliffhangers that leave my audience begging for more! That's how you keep the audience, right? I also always try to write something out of the ordinary to mix things up a bit and not give my readers the same old same old. I'm glad you enjoy it so far!

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**Disclaimer: **I do not own Naruto

Dream Fighters

**Chapter 2**

"You! Check the east wing. And you! Go down into the dungeon to secure the prisoners." Kankuro commanded to the royal guards.

Without warning, a huge band of demons and evil men had invaded the castle and destroyed anything that was in their way. The group is led by General Sauske who is the "right-hand-man" of the evil overlord, Orochimaru. Killing the King and Queen and to take over the castle ruling over the country of Konoha was a huge success on their part. Now they just had to find the children, especially one.

Assuming his inherited duties, Kankuro instructed the royal guardsmen, knights, and soldiers to secure the area to make sure that no one else was killed, and that none of the evil army would go into the town. He had the servants, maids and any other worker and royal official escorted out of the castle and to some where safe. The only other people who were needed to evacuate, besides the knights and guards, were Kankuro and his siblings, Temari and Gaara.

"Gaara! Dammit you little bastard! Where are you?" Kankuro shouted amongst the chaos. He was looking for his youngest sibling, Gaara.

A few moments later, Gaara finally appeared from around the corner along with a couple of soldiers. "I heard you calling me. I don't appreciate being called a 'little bastard'." Gaara scorned.

"This isn't the time for that. Where's Temari?" Kankuro sternly asked now.

"I don't know. I was helping to fight back some of the demons, so I wasn't paying attention."

"That's not important right now; let the soldiers do that," Kankuro waved off the two soldiers that were behind Gaara. "I need you to go find our pain-in-the-ass sister and bring her back here. We need to leave at once. And that's an order."

Gaara gave a displeased looked, but decided to obey anyway. "Alright." He said and ran off into the mess of soldiers and demons again. _Damn him. Who does he think he is anyway? It's not my duty to keep track of our irresponsible sister. But with this chaotic event occurring, I guess I can't complain. _Gaara thought as he ran down various hallways. To his luck there were no demons or evil men around, but there were remnants left of where fights did occur.

Gaara finally arrived at Temari's room after some time. "Where in the world is she? I would've figured she'd be in her room or something, but there's no sign of her," Gaara said to himself after examining her room and leaving the area. "She really can be a pain."

Gaara had searched almost the entire castle and still there was no sign of Temari. Just when all hope seemed to be lost, he found it. There, lying unconscious in one of the remote back hallways, was his sister Temari.

"Temari!" Gaara cried out as he ran to aide his sister. He knelt down on his knees and lifted her head. "Temari! Can you hear me? Wake up!" Gaara shouted and shook Temari to try and wake her up.

Slowly and unsurely, Temari opened her eyes and looked around the now blurry surroundings. When her vision finally came back, the first thing Temari saw was Gaara, her youngest brother.

"MOM AND DAD ARE DEAD! TELL KANKURO! TELL THE OFFICIALS! TELL THE GUARDS! WE HAVE MURDERERS ON THE LOOSE!" Temari panicked and screamed.

Gaara heavily sighed and sat Temari up. "We know. Everyone knows. I need to get you out of here now. Kankuro wants us to get the hell out of this place before we get killed ourselves."

Temari heavily blinked. "Why? Mom and dad are dead! We need to find the killers and clear up this matter now! I won't go."

"If we stay here, we die too," Gaara harshly conveyed. "The castle has been invaded by an army of demons and men. Everyone but the soldiers has already left for safety. The only chance of survival for us and to save the castle is to escape as well."

The news hit Temari hard. "I don't…I don't what to say."

Suddenly a loud crash was heard which shook the floor and the walls. Temari screamed and Gaara covered his head his sister just incase some debris flew by.

"Well…I say lets go already!" Gaara snapped and helped Temari up. "We have to run! Things are starting to get worse as we speak." He grabbed Temari's hand and started to run down the way he came.

"Ngh." Temari cringed as she and Gaara now ran for their lives. _This is all happening way too fast. First mother and father are killed and then we're invaded by demons. What's going on? Please make it stop!_ Temari began to tear up at her thoughts.

"It's about time you two got here!" Kankuro spat as Gaara and Temari finally approached him.

Temari breathed a sigh of relief as they stopped right in front of him. "Kankuro! Please tell me what's going on! First I find mom and dad dead and now this!" Temari demanded.

"There's no time to explain. I'll tell you later we because need to go. NOW!" Kankuro ordered and then looked around the see if anyone – good or bad – was near. There was a lull in the area, but one could still hear clashing swords and screaming men. "OK. Everything's clear. Lets move on out."

Kankuro turned around and started running with Gaara following close behind him. Temari was still dazed and confused, but knowing she had to comply, Temari followed suit and caught up to her brothers.

Kankuro had swiftly opened up a small hidden doorway and slipped right through it. Gaara and Temari of course followed behind. It was a very small and dank passageway that was tucked away within the castle; only the royal family knew about it. Since it was rarely used – except when the siblings would play in it when they were younger – dirt, dust and spider webs were everywhere.

"I hope you know where you're going, Kankuro!" Temari warned as she batted away a web.

Kankuro quickly turned around to look at Temari. "Yes I do. Quit worrying so much. Just as long as we get out of here alive and in one piece, that's all I care about."

Temari grunted and continued to brush away the spider webs.

"There's the door." Gaara pointed put. There was a door just in front of them that led to the outside of the castle.

Kankuro nodded his head and went for it. He signaled for Gaara and Temari to stay where they were while he checked. Kankuro turned back around and cracked open the door to check if the coast was clear outside. Unfortunately there were a lot of demons and such patrolling the grounds.

"Damn. This isn't good." Kankuro said aloud.

"What?" Temari asked concerned. Gaara didn't say anything and just waited for a response.

"There's several demons right outside of the door." Kankuro responded and stepped in front of his siblings again.

"Now what?" Temari asked again.

"If I'm remembering correctly, there's another door a ways from here." Kankuro answered and began to walk to their new destination.

The visions of her dead parents kept replaying in Temari's mind as if it was trying to tell her something. As Temari followed her younger brothers she could feel herself blacking out from the torture. _Why does this have to happen now! _

"Don't lag behind." Gaara firmly advised as he grabbed Temari's arm right before she could fall. Her vision was suddenly restored to normal and the surroundings changed from what she last remembered.

Temari blinked a couple of times and looked around. She spotted Kankuro by an opening several feet away waving for her and Gaara. "Huh? W…what happened?" Temari uncertainly asked. _The last thing I remember was that the door we found was guarded and then we started to find a new one. Did I pass out? Am I hallucinating now?_

"I don't know, but you suddenly stopped and was about to fall over." Gaara informed as he helped Temari regain her strength. "Kankuro found the other door. It's free of demons for now so we need to hurry."

Temari nodded and slowly ran for the door. Kankuro and Gaara exited first with Temari close behind this time.

The door was tucked away behind two large bushes so it wasn't visible from the outside world. It was located in the very back of the castle that was close to the forest so it made a perfect get away for the siblings. All three of the royal children cautiously darted along the stretch of ground while looking about themselves. There was several more feet until the gate and then they would finally be in the safety of the forest.

Unsuspecting to the trio were a few evil henchmen and demons lurking about. "There are the children! Get them before they escape!" A man cried out after noticing them.

Kankuro, Gaara and Temari all immediately stopped and saw the men and demons start to come after them.

"RUN! None of us have the energy to fight anymore." Kankuro ordered and fiercely broke through the gate. Gaara and Temari quickly started running after Kankuro to save their lives too. Even though the three had a head-start on them, the demons were gaining ground fast.

Now starting to get into the dense part of the forest, the siblings still had the demons and men on their heels. Their luck was starting to look very grim. Every so often Temari looked back behind herself to see the pursuers catching up. Her strength was diminishing fast.

_Damn it! We're never going to make it! There's too many to fight let alone us not being in any condition now to fight. We can try though, but they look pretty well armored unlike us. I don't want to take that chance._ Temari analyzed to herself. "AH!" She screamed as she tripped over a tree root from not paying attention. As quickly as she could, Temari got up and attempted to start running again. Because of her fall the demons were able to catch up to Temari.

"Kankuro! Gaara!" Temari screeched just as the demons approached her.

Immediately Kankuro and Gaara turned around to find their sister being captured.

"TEMARI!" Kankuro shouted while he and Gaara ran back to save her.

"Stay back!" Temari warned as she tried to fight off the demons with the little strength left that she had. "Go on ahead! Leave me!"

Both of her brothers stopped and watched their sister being taken away. Kankuro and Gaara looked at each other as they both thought it was weird that the evil group didn't go after them.

"We can make it, Temari! Just let us save you!" Kankuro offered as he ran for Temari again.

"SAVE YOURSELVES!" Temari screamed out with the last of her strength before the man who held onto her slapped her face. Without thinking twice, the group turned around and started back for the castle, but this time with Temari.

Kankuro let out a heavy sigh and turned around. He had to fight away the desire to attack. "Let's go."

Gaara nodded in agreement and began to run with Kankuro through the forest again. They were going to save their sister and the land.

…_Back_ in the castle, Temari was violently tossed into what used to be her parent's throne room. The small group that had captured her grunted in accomplishment and walked on out. By this time now Temari feared for her life. The corpses of her parents were absent and their blood stained thrones were gone as well. That area was replaced with a large, black throne with red velvet and gold accents with evil looking engravings.

Temari looked down at her hands and noticed how bad she was shaking. _I'm going to die. I'm going to die just like mother and father!_ Right in front of her were still the blood stains from her parents. Temari choked up and felt tears heavily form in her eyes. _Please God, let this be a dream!_

"AIE!" Temari shrieked and her eyes grew wide when she suddenly heard the doors open again.

She turned around and noticed a very heavily armored man walk towards her. He had long, uneven black hair and black menacing eyes to match. A large, black flowing cape followed him as his large armored boots clunked against the marble floor. An intimidating smirk was painted across his face as he continued to approach Temari. She could feel the evil seep out of him.

_Could…could this be? That…man…._ Temari frightfully thought as the tall, evil man stopped in front of her. _I'm…I'm not dreaming…._

"Princess Temari…heh…." He callously said under his breath.

"What about it?" Temari verbally threw at him. She was scared out of her mind of the man, but she had to stand her ground if she had any chance of living. "Who the hell are you? What do you want with me!"

"Well…aren't we the tough one? " He laughed. "I am the man who murdered your dear mommy and daddy. They call me General Sauske." He growled at the end and grabbed Temari by the hair. "Don't get cocky!"

"AAHH!" Temari shrieked from being lifted to her feet.

"Damn bitch! You'll learn to bow down and respect me; if you wish to live that is." General Sauske harshly reprimanded and slapped Temari with his free hand.

Temari winced then spit into Sauske's face. He grimaced then threw her down hard onto the floor. "You bastard. You'll never get away with this!" She hollered at him and rubbed where he slapped her.

General Sauske laughed hard and deep. "Don't make me laugh, foolish princess! Actually…don't make me kill you," He warned. "You have something I need. So I don't want to waste that precious life of yours. Don't push me."

"I have nothing that you desire, pig! And even if I did, I still wouldn't give it to you!" She shouted again before General Sauske kicked her, sending her several feet away.

"You're testing my nerves, wench!" Sauske shouted at Temari. He took in a deep breath before talking again. "I really should kill you now just like I did to your parents. The fools…," He laughed again then snapped his fingers. Out of no where jumped two armored men right behind General Sauske. "I'll just have to kill your brothers after all."

"NO!" Temari screamed, trying to get up. _He's really strong, but I can't let him do anymore damage! What do I have that he wants? I have no clue what he wants._

"No need to worry, I was going to kill them anyway." General Sauske waved his hand and the two men disappeared just like when the arrived. "As for you…we'll need to quiet you for a while."

Temari's eyes grew wide again. "Wh…what do you mean? You'll pay for this!" She threatened.

"HA! And how are you going to do that, princess?" He chided then made some hand seals. "Have fun for me while you're in this crystal. I know I won't have fun abusing you while you're in there. Better luck next time with trying to stop me."

Coming out of the floor was a light blue colored liquid. It surrounded Temari's feet and then began to rise up into the air. "You'll never get away with this! Stop it this instant!" She commanded but it was too late. The liquid finally closed up around her then hardened, forming a crystal. "Ah! Can't…breathe…must…get…." Temari struggled to say before she passed out.

"Stupid bitch." General Sauske said out loud. "If you talk too much, the fumes from the crystal will make you unconscious. I guess I should've warned her." He shrugged. General Sauske made a few more hand seals and then the crystal with Temari in it disappeared. "Let the fun begin."

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**Author's Note 2:** I know Sauske is out of his character, but he's supposed to be some evil dude, right? If I made Sauske completely himself, it wouldn't have been as interesting. JUST A SIDENOTE PEOPLE! (so I don't get chewed out...hopefully). 


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note:** W00t! Chapter 3 and really not much to say. Just that I'm currently drawing a picture of Princess Temari, Prince Kankuro and Prince Gaara and that I would like more of you to REVIEW! If you like this story and wish to see more, please let me know! (I hate begging! It's troublesome).

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**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto

Dream Fighters

**Chapter 3**

"My gawd! How much longer are we going to be walking? We've been going for five days straight!" In groaned and complained while she started fake a limp.

"Yeah really! I thought you said this place was close?" Naruto added onto Ino's complaining.

Shikamaru sighed and rolled his eyes. "You have wings, don't you Ino?" He unenthusiastically pointed out.

Ino blushed and giggled. "Oops. I guess you do have a point. I forgot."

Sakura and Shikamaru both had a massive sweat drop go down their foreheads.

_What a ditz!_ Sakura clenched her fist after getting annoyed by Ino's remark.

"WE'RE HERE!" Naruto shouted and ran for the village that he spotted in the distance.

"NARUTO! Wait for us…." _Damn. I don't know where he gets his energy from. I swear just a minute ago he was dragging along with Ino. Troublesome bastard._

"I guess we have no choice but to follow him. I hope that's that town you were talking about, Shikamaru." Sakura stated.

Shikamaru rubbed his forehead. "He's lucky that that's the town. Let's pick up the pace."

"Carry me, Shikamaru!" Ino squealed as she jumped on Shikamaru's back and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Fly, damn it!" He shouted and peeled Ino off of him.

Ino stopped and blinked a few times before catching back up with Sakura and Shikamaru. _He's so in love with me. He just wants to deny it right now!_

When the group finally caught up with Naruto – who was waiting impatiently by the entrance – they entered the town together. Everything seemed to be normal except for the enormous spider demon destroying the area. The townsfolk were frantically running around screaming, trying to save their belongings and loved ones. Several houses and buildings were already destroyed when the snake swung its massive head and tail around. Naruto obviously saw what was happening and prepared his psyche for battle.

"Alright you demon bastard, you're going down!" Naruto barked out as he rolled up he sleeves.

"Oh no you don't! Not if I have anything to say about it!" Sakura retorted after she used one of her magic commands to make a rope appear and tightly tie around Naruto.

"HEY! WHAT'S THE MEANING OF THIS? There's a demon running loose and you tie me up!" Naruto screamed while trying to fight his way out of the rope.

"We don't need anymore damage done to this town than what there already is." Ino huffed and rolled her eyes.

Shikamaru rubbed the back of his head and sighed. "I guess I'll take care of this. You two stay back and make sure Naruto doesn't get in the way." He said, drew his sword and made his way though the crowd.

"Hey! C'mon now! How come you get to have all the fun and just leave me here with these weaklings!" Naruto cried out to Shikamaru while still trying to wiggle free.

"Who are you calling 'weaklings'?" Both Sakura and Ino growled and hit Naruto on top of his head with their fists.

_Geeze, this is troublesome. I hope I can kill this demon quick so we can be on our way again. _Shikamaru thought as he approached the base of the demon.

The demon finally saw Shikamaru and lunged forward for him. Shikamaru quickly jumped out of the way before the snake's head barreled into the stone road. More screams were heard after the crash. Instinctly, Shikamaru leaped onto the snake's head just as it was coming back up. It swung its head all around trying to shake Shikamaru off.

_This is the only chance I have before anymore damage is done._ "Shadow Blade Dance!" Shikamaru loudly chanted then swung he sword into the back of the snake's head, cutting it clean off. The blow created a mysterious shadow that engulfed the entire area.

Everyone nearby immediately stopped and looked in the direction of where the darkness was coming from. Once the huge shadow disappeared, Shikamaru jumped onto the ground along with the snake's head and body falling separately behind him. The fall created one last quake. A few quiet moments later a huge eruption of applause came from the townsfolk in the area.

Shikamaru sighed and went back to his teammates. "That was a bit too easy. How troublesome." _Something's not right. Demons shouldn't be in towns like this._ He thought and sheathed his sword.

"Ah…my hero." Ino placed her hands on the side of her face and swooned.

"Oh brother, gimme a break." Sakura rolled her eyes at Ino.

"Hmpf. Showoff." Naruto pouted and turned away from Shikamaru when he approached.

Shikamaru ignored Naruto and sighed again. "Well…since that's over with, let's get ourselves a place to stay and finally see what missions there are to do. We'll leave the clean up to the townsfolk." He lectured then motioned for everyone to follow.

"HEY! I'm still tied up here!" Naruto shouted to get their attention.

Sakura turned around and made the rope disappear by waving around her scepter. "You're such a pain sometimes."

"Seesh Naruto, you should be more like Shikamaru." Ino boasted as she grabbed his arm. Naruto folded his arms and looked away again.

"Stop that, Ino." Shikamaru groaned as he plucked Ino off of himself.

"SIR! Excuse me, sir. You're the one who slayed the demon, am I correct?" An older man ran up to Shikamaru and questioned him.

"Yeah." He coldly replied, not sure of what the man wanted.

"Thank you so much for what you have done!" The man exclaimed as he went down on his knees and bowed in front of Shikamaru. "We are a peaceful town in which we are never attacked like this by demons. Normally this area is protected by knights of the castle, but they are not present for some reason. We cannot thank you enough for your fearless deed!" He continued to grovel.

"We expect payment in full! And don't forget to feed-". Naruto perked up and started to order until Sakura elbowed him in the stomach.

"Ugh…we're just passing though, actually. You don't need to thank us. Sorry for being so short, but we need to be going so we can find a place to stay for the night." Shikamaru grudgingly answered the old man and began to walk again.

"What luck! I am an Innkeeper," The old man got up off of the ground and stopped Shikamaru again. "My place isn't that far from here and it luckily wasn't damaged by that horrid snake! Please let it be the town's way of thanking you for your heroic actions!" He excitedly offered.

"C'mon! Let's go for it! It's not everyday we get to stay for free. Besides, we can use the rest of our money from the last mission to go shopping!" Ino butted in, trying to work her charm.

"There is no way I'll trust you with money, Ino." Shikamaru sternly replied. Ino turned away in a huff.

Closing his eyes and folding his arms, Shikamaru began to deliberate about the offer. _This is troublesome. I can't just let this old man let us stay for free. But then again Ino does have a point; it's not everyday we're offered to stay for no cost. I did help out the town after all. _"Alright, old man. We'll take you up on your offer, but let us pay you when we get some money."

"No, no! It's our compliment; saving our town was more than enough payment. Please, come this way." The old man began to show the group the way to his Inn.

Shikamaru, Naruto, Sakura, and Ino all looked at each other, shrugged their shoulders and followed the old man. They walked through the rubble and along the now destroyed road. A little ways away from the area of the town that was destroyed sat a fairly large Inn that also held a very popular pub in which everyone went to.

"This is it. I know it's not much to look at, but it serves our customers very well. Please come in!" The old man smiled and opened the door to let them in. Shikamaru and the others went ahead in without any arguments or questions.

"Not much to look at my foot! This is the most done up place I've ever seen! Well…with the exception for my place back home." Ino exclaimed in amazement.

"Oh my. Sir, this place is just magnificent! Please, we need to pay you for us to stay!" Sakura offered after she examined the gold crown molding and highly done up bar.

"Boy you youngins are persistant! You're staying here for no charge, and that's it!" The Innkeeper slammed his hand on the bar. "Get these heroes some drinks! They just saved our town from total destruction."

"A'ight pops." The bartender said as he put down the glass he was cleaning.

"Oh no, no! It's ok, we don't drink." Shikamaru waved his hands to stop the old man.

"How old are you, boy?" He firmly asked.

"Twenty." Shikamaru raised his eyebrow.

"You're old enough! Even if you weren't, you would need to have a drink to celebrate anyway!"

"Exactly! Make mine a dark ale!" Naruto shouted and punched the air.

Shikamaru heavily sighed and pushed Naruto down into a chair. "Look, we're just traveling mercenaries looking for missions to get money. We don't drink everywhere we go because it'll disturb our abilities."

Both Ino and Naruto folded their arms and made an irritated look at Shikamaru. The Innkeeper sighed as well as scratched his head. _This is one interesting bunch, I do say. _"Alright, at least let us feed you. How about some Nardle? It's a local delicacy!"

Everyone raised their eyebrows. Naruto started to make disgusted noises. "EW! Who knows that it is! It could be like some animals…you know. I don't like the name of it. It sounds nasty." He pouted and stuck out his tongue.

"Naruto! How can you judge something before you even know what it is? Now that I think about it, it does sound a bit unappealing." Ino scolded.

Sakura sighed and stepped forward. "Ahem. Nardle is a small doughball that contains cheese, tomatoes, carrots and potatoes. It's deep fried and coated in salt and herbs. Very delicious so I've heard." She informed, sounding very intelligent, which she was.

Ino glared at her. _What a smartass. Thinks she knows everything. At least I have the looks and a better sense of fashion. Pink was so last year!_

"Well said, young lady!" The old man smiled. "Before you guys back out again, let me go back and cook some up." He scurried off behind the bar and disappeared through a door.

Shikamaru, Naruto, Sakura and Ino all looked at each other and then sat down at a table together.

"This place is so lovely! I can't get enough of it!" Sakura squealed.

"I don't see why we can't have a drink or two." Naruto started to complain.

Shikamaru leaned against his hand and took in a couple of deep breaths. "Fine. Have a couple of drinks if you want, but it's out of your pocket. I'm not going to be responsible for your troublesome ass."

"Whoo hoo!" Naruto jumped out of his seat and ran up to the bar.

"Can I go too, Shikamaru?" Ino asked innocently.

"What am I, your mother? Go ahead if you want to, but like I told Naruto, I'm not going to be responsible for your ass." He answered quite annoyed. Ino hugged Shikamaru and went with Naruto.

Over a few tables sat two mysterious looking men. They both had cloaks covering their clothes and hoods over their faces. The smaller one sat very still and didn't move at all. Sakura noticed them and began to get a little frightened.

_I don't like the looks of those two. You can't even see their faces from their hoods being so low. They give me the creeps!_ Sakura thought as she continued to stare at them.

Unexpectedly, the larger man stood up and began to walk towards Shikamaru and Sakura. The smaller man immediately followed. Sakura saw them coming closer and jumped in her seat.

"Huh?" Shikamaru noticed Sakura acting weird. He looked up and spotted two hooded men looming over him. _Now I see why Sakura acted strangely. How troublesome._

"Are you the one who killed the snake demon?" The taller of the two asked.

"Y…yeah. What about it?" Shikamaru actually felt himself get a bit nervous. _Are these two responsible for that demon?_

"We've never seen such a technique before," The tall man said as he grabbed his hood. "I am Prince Kankuro and this is my youngest brother, Gaara. We would like your help." He finished after they both withdrew their hoods.

Sakura took in a deep breath of relief. _Thank goodness. I thought they were evil men or something like that. Prince Kankuro is pretty cute, and so is his little brother._

Kankuro noticed Sakura's sudden look of relief. "I apologize about the hoods. You see, the castle – our home – has been taken over by an evil man by the name of General Sasuke. Who knows what he has out here to possibly kill us. In other words, we're being tracked."

"How aweful! Would that have anything to do with that huge demon earlier?" Sakura asked.

Before answering her question, Kankuro and Gaara both placed themselves in the seats that Ino and Naruto once had. "We don't know for sure, but it's highly possible."

"Demon or not, what do you guys want?" Shikamaru finally said his two cents worth.

Kankuro leaned in on the table. "Like I said, we need your help. The country and possibly the world is in trouble. We don't know why yet, but General Sasuke has occupied our castle – which I have already mentioned – and is more than likely planning on taking over the country. He has already released an unimaginable amount of demons into the land and brainwashed our former knights and soldiers to fight for him," Kankuro stopped when he saw Shikamaru yawning. He leaned in even closer to get his attention. "Our eldest sister, Temari, has been taken hostage by him. Who knows if she's even still alive? We're looking for people or at least someone to help us rescue her in time, and to save Konoha as well."

"The princess!" Sakura shrieked. "Shikamaru! We should help them!"

"Pipe down, Sakura. It's nothing to get excited about," Shikamaru glowered. "Look, we lost out on our last mission and didn't get much money from it. Right now the last thing we need to do is a fairy tale-hero mission."

"How can you say that, Shikamaru? The princess is in trouble and the country is in danger!" Sakura hollered at him.

"You actually believe him?"

"Believe me or not, the country and our sister are still in need of help. I don't know what else to do to prove it to you, but that demon you killed in this small, peaceful town should be proof enough," pausing for a moment, Kankuro looked over at Ino and Naruto who were starting to down their third pints of ale. "Gaara and I would like to request the services of you two and even your drunken friends over there."

"We'll pay for all of your expenses and even reward you in the end…if it's successful." Gaara finally spoke up.

Shikamaru's demeanor still didn't change even with Gaara's statement. He repositioned himself and folded his arms.

Sakura looked back and forth between Gaara and Shikamaru. _It's about tiem Prince Gaara talked. He was starting to scare me again. And what's up with Shikamaru? Normally he would be all for a mission that would involve a lot of things at stake. Did he have one of his dreams again?_ She thought. "Shikamaru, what's wrong? A princess is in danger and they're offering a lot to have us help."

_I can't tell her about the dream I had. She'd get all worried about me._ "Excuse me." Shikamaru said as he got up out of his seat and walked outside.


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's note:** Blah, blah, blah...lol. You know the drill people, PLEASE REVIEW! I hate begging :P. Thanks to the two of you who DID review last chapter.

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**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto

Dream Fighters

**Chapter 4**

"Sorry for the wait! Here's your food." The old man said jollily as he walked up to the table. Before he set the food down, the innkeeper noticed that only Sakura was left of the group. "What happened to the others?" He questioned.

Sakura heavily sighed. "Well, two are getting drunk over there and Shikamaru stepped out for a second…I hope."

The old man nodded his head. "Alright. Here's the food anyway. They can eat it when they want to. Or you and new friends there can eat it now." He set the huge tray down and left.

"I apologize for Shikamaru, please forgive him. I don't know what has gotten into him," Sakura apologized after she grabbed a piece of Nardle and ate it. "You see, he had dreams that always foretell something that's going to happen to either him or someone close. I don't know if that has anything to do with his behavior just now though."

Kankuro chuckled. "It's alright. It is a pretty big decision I guess, so I don't blame him. I just hope you and your friends accept our offer."

"I know I'd love to help save your sister and the country; it would be an honor! But of course it's up to Shikamaru since he's the group leader." Sakura gleefully responded then looked out one of the windows. _I hope he does agree to help. Please…Shikamaru._

A couple blocks away from the Inn, Shikamaru was walking along the street with his hands in his pockets. He looked up at the sky and watched the clouds drift by. "Feh…how troublesome. Can those two guys be telling the truth? They actually want me to save a girl – their sister who's a princess no less – and the country from total destruction. It sounds a bit odd to me." Shikamaru sighed.

"You can't be serious." A young man who looked around Shikamaru's age said in disbelief.

"I am dude! Princess Temari is one spit-fire chick!" The other young man said in response to his friend.

"Huh?" Shikamaru's attention perked up when he caught the tailwind of their conversation. _They're talking about that Princess Temari. She must be pretty popular then._ He thought and stopped at a nearby stand to listen in more.

"She's way gorgeous, too!" The second guy started up again. "They say that her beauty is so intense that it makes even the most beautiful flowers look old and wilted. She's also a damn good fighter, so they say."

"You're so full of it, Shinji! You're always making up stories like this." The first young man said, still not believing his friend.

"I'm not making it up this time! I swear on my life! She's absolutely perfect," Shinji continued to talk. "But the only thing that keeps her from being a complete and perfect angel is her notorious mood swings."

_So she is real after all. I just hope that guy is telling the truth. Princess Temari; she sounds like someone I could fight for…and hopefully love someday. _Shikamaru thought and walked back to the Inn.

"_Alright_! I'll agree to save your sister and the country." Shikamaru loudly addressed after he came back.

A huge smile appeared on Sakura's face. _Thank you, Shikamaru. Thank you._

"So I guess you agree after all. That's good to know." Kankuro folded his arms and sat back in his chair.

"yeah, you guys better not be pulling my leg." Shikamaru bleakly responded and sat back down with them.

"Kankuro never lies. Don't assume him to be so lowly." Gaara warned.

"Your…your highness!" Sakura choked on her words, and a piece of food.

Kankuro laughed under his breath. "It's ok. Please, just call by our first names, Sakura-chan."

Sakura blushed. "Um…ok."

"Don't tell me – hic – you're going to be saving that – hic – bitch." Ino slurred as she threw her arms over the back of Shikamaru's shoulders. "You're with me, remember Shika-kun?"

Shikamaru winced when he smelled the heavy odor of alcohol on Ino's breath. A vein popped on his forehead as he peeled Ino off of his back and held her upright since she couldn't stand on her own. "You don't even know who we're talking about."

"Hey man! Which way did that demon go? I need to kill it before it destroys the town!" Naruto shouted while punching the air and acting as if he was fighting.

_What the hell was in that ale? I've never seen either of them this drunk before._ Shikamaru raised an eyebrow. "Gah…how troublesome. I'm sorry about Ino and Naruto here. I guess they both had a bit too much to drink." He rolled his eyes.

Kankuro laughed again. Gaara had his arms folded and didn't look too thrilled. "What an embarrassment. And you want to hire these guys to rescue our sister?" Gaara sternly asked.

"We have no choice. These are the only people wiling to help." Kankuro answered after he turned to face his little brother. Gaara didn't reply but just looked away. "Geeze…." Kankuro rubbed his head then turned back to Shikamaru and his team. "We're going to head out early tomorrow morning, so make sure those two are fully sobered up." He explained and pointed to Naruto and Ino.

"You bastard! We're not leaving – hic – in the morning! I'm going to shop and you can't stop me!" INo slurred again then passed out in Shikamaru's arms. He heavily sighed then picked Ino up to carry her bridal-style.

"Sakura, can you take care of Naruto? Looks like I'll take care of Ino." Shikamaru asked before finding the innkeeper.

"Y…yes." Sakura nodded her head and looked behind her for Naruto. There he was, sprawled and passed-out completely on the floor. _Oi. Sometimes I wish I had a cure for drunkenness and stupidity. _"Um…Kankuro-sama. Can you help me carry Naruto up to his room?"

"I'll be my pleasure," Kankuro agreed and went over to pick Naruto up and threw him over his shoulder. "Ok, where is your room located?"

"Actually, I don't know. We just arrived here as you can tell. Let me find the innkeeper." Sakura informed then went to look for the old man. Neither he nor Shikamaru and Ino were anywhere to be seen. _The innkeeper must've taken Shikamaru to Ino's and my room. We'll just have to wait until they come back, I guess._

"Ung…where…where am I?" Ino groggily asked as she sat up holding her head in her bed.

"So you're finally awake I see," Sakura said as she put the book down that she was reading.

Ino glared at Sakura when she noticed her. "Where's Shikamaru?" She firmly asked.

"With Naruto. I guess they have some strict rules here about two people of the opposite gender being in the same room alone; unless you're married of course. So because of that, Shikamaru's upstairs in their room watching Naruto." Sakura blankly informed then returned to her book.

Ino loudly exasperated and quickly moved to get out of her bed. "Damn! My head is pounding!" She wailed as she fell into her back.

"Don't get up. You've been out for five hours straight now. Because of the amount of ale you consumed, you're going to have a serious hangover and will need to rest," Sakura scolded. "The innkeeper just called for dinner so I'll bring your food up here."

Repositioning herself to where she originally was, Ino folded her arms and heavily sighed again. _Stupid Sakura. She always likes to ruin my fun._

The relationship between Sakura and Ino had always been a shaky one. They were childhood friends for a while until they both matured and went their separates ways. Sakura had always been the quiet and shy one and was constantly in Ino's shadow. When Sakura finally realized she didn't need to constantly be controlled by Ino, things obviously didn't go over too well. Since that moment on they never talked or saw each other again.

Unknowingly, when Shikamaru began to form his group, he didn't know that Ino and Sakura used to know each other. He first chose Naruto then Ino a few months later. One day while he was out looking for mission postings, Shikamaru noticed Sakura using her healing powers on a fallen bird and asked her to join. Ino was furious and threatened to quit right on the spot. Shikamaru bribed her to stay alcohol (since he knew that she didn't have much common sense), thus, the starting of Ino's obsession with Shikamaru. Now, two years later, Sakura and Ino still talk much unless need be.

"How's Naruto doing?" Sakura asked Shikamaru. She had gone upstairs to check on Naruto, since she was the medic of the group. He was still fast asleep on the bed in one of his weird positions.

"He hasn't woken up since you brought him up here," Shikamaru sighed. "Every so often he'll flip over or do something weird, though. How troublesome." He rubbed his forehead.

Sakura giggled at Shikamaru's comment. "At least he's fine. Well, I told Ino that the innkeeper called for dinner, though it's way past that now. So I need to have him whip up something fast for her."

"You lied to her? Well…it's not like I care or anything."

Sakura blushed. "She's completely oblivious so she'll never know. Probably by the time I get back, she'll be out cold again."

Shikamaru nodded his head. "Heh… good luck with that. I know Naruto definitely won't wake up until tomorrow, so I have it somewhat easy."

Sakura smield and exited the room. Downstairs in the pub, there was no one except for a young girl – who looked about Sakura's age – tidying up. She had short, dark blue hair and soft lilac-colored eyes.

"Um…excuse me, miss," Sakura quietly asked. "I know it's late, but my friend…she kinda got drunk and passed out from drinking too much ale. She's been sleeping all day and just now woke up. So, would it be possible to get her something to eat? It doesn't have to be a huge meal or anything."

The girl blushed a little bit and set down her broom. "Y…yes. You said she got drunk…right?"

"Yeah."

"I keep telling Jiraiya-sama to change the ingredients in his ale. There's something in there that messes with the person's sense and makes them drunk quicker." The young girl explained. "Jiraiya-sama can be so perverted."

Sakura raised an eyebrow. "Perverted? He seemed like a nice, non-perverted man to me."

"Oh! I'm sorry! I need to get that food for your friend. I'll be right back!" She excused herself and ran off into the kitchen. A few moments later she came back out with a bowl filled with what looked like soup. "I'm sorry for the wait. This is a special stew that I make to help those who are affected by Jiraiya-sama's ale."

"Oh…um, thanks!" Sakura grinned and took the bowl from her. "Please pardon me for not introducing myself. My name's Haruno Sakura."

"I'm…I'm Hyuuga Hinata."

Both girls smiled at each other and then Sakura turned around and left the pub area.

Upstairs, Ino was now sitting up again and was still in a fowl mood from not being able to see Shikamaru. Sakura quietly entered just in case Ino was still sleeping.

"Oh! You're still awake." Sakura said in surprise after she noticed Ino sitting up.

"Yeah. What took you so long?" Ino groused.

"I had to go check on Naruto and see how he was doing." Sakura plainly answered.

"I thought you weren't allowed up there?" Ino remarked back.

Sakura growled to herself. "I never said I wasn't allowed up there. Besides, Shikamaru's up so it's not like I'll be alone with Naruto." _Which that'll never happen._

Ino forcefully replanted her arms and looked away. "Hmpf."

"Here. Eat this and get some rest. Kankuro-sama wants us to leave early." Sakura sighed and placed the bowl on Ino's night stand.

Still not saying anything, Ino turned her nose up at the food and laid back down in her bed. Sakura let out a heavy moan and settled herself down into her own bed. _This is going to be a long night._ She thought.


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto

Dream Fighters

**Chapter 5**

"_No! Stop! You can't do this!" The advantageous boy cried out._

_The young girl looked up and scowled at him. "I have to. If I don't do this, there's no hope of saving the princess and the country."_

"_But…you…I…." The young man choked on his words. The emotional pain was getting to him._

"_Please understand, this is for the best." The girl explained again and quickly turned around to hide her tears. She didn't want to show the young man how terrified she was._

_Moments later a bright like appeared in front of the girl. It was so bright that it even erased some of the darkness that was present. _

_The young man couldn't help himself and started to run for her. "No!" He shouted. _

Way before the birds were up singing and the sun starting to rise into the sky, Prince Kankuro and Prince Gaara were waiting impatiently for the team that they had hired the day before. Kankuro was sitting comfortably at the bar sipping his coffee. Gaara on the other hand paced back and forth in front of the door.

"Where are they? I thought you told them to be ready early?" Gaara stopped walking and firmly asked his brother.

"Hey, not everyone is an early riser like us. Well, except for that girl over there." Kankuro answered then pointed over to Hinata who was frantically trying to set up all of the tables.

Gaara sighed and went back to his pacing. "I still can't believe you hired those guys."

Kankuro ignored the statement and drank the rest of his coffee. "Hey miss! Can I have some more to drink, please?" He shouted to Hinata.

"Oh, um…yes! Just one moment." She stuttered and set down the plates she was carrying. At the same time Hinata was on her way to serve Kankuro, Shikamaru and the others had just entered the pub. Ino had both of her hands on her head to try to block out the light. Unlike her, Naruto was being carried on Shikamaru's back.

"Good grief. What in the world was in that ale? He's still drunk, or at least having a major hangover." Shikamaru loudly groaned as Naruto was trying to move around on his back.

"Excuse me sir!" Hinata said abruptly.

"Huh?" Shikamaru's attention perked up when he herd her voice. He wasn't paying attention, took another step and ran into Hinata.

"AIEE!" Hinata shrieked as she fell onto the floor.

"Crap you guys! Can you please be a little bit quieter? My head is pounding!" Ino complained and rubbed her head.

"Are you ok?" Sakura rushed to Hinata's side.

Shikamaru blinked and gently set Naruto down. Out of no where Naruto snapped out of his drunken state and became of the surroundings.

"Huh? What happened?" Naruto questioned and looked around. _Who's this girl? She's cute. A bit clumsy though._ Naruto took a closer look. _Wait a minute! She's the one at the bar last night who tried to stop me from drinking!_

Hinata looked up and noticed Naruto staring down at her. She started to blush and looked back at Sakura. "Oh! I'm alright. It's my fault for not paying attention to where I was going." Hinata said, immediately stood up and turned red all over. _It's that boy from yesterday! I must like him or something because I'm getting really nervous! Looks like the ale already wore off of him._

"Uh…actually it's my fault." Shikamaru scratched his head and confessed.

After watching the scene unfold, Kankuro finally walked over to them. "Sorry for being hasty, but we should get going. Our destination is a long ways off and we don't have time to dilly-dally." He informed then turned to Hinata. "I apologize for the inconvenience, but can you cancel my order." Kankuro handed Hinata a small pouch of money.

"But…uh…I…um…." Hinata blushed again and continued to hold the money. "Th…thank you."

"Alright, let's go!" Kankuro ordered and motioned for Gaara to come his way.

"WHAT!" Ino screeched. "Aren't we going to eat breakfast or something? It's too early to be doing this stuff!"

"We packed some things so you don't need to worry." Kankuro rolled his eyes and began to walk away. _Maybe Gaara is right about them._

Everyone, even Ino and Naruto, followed Kankuro and Gaara out of the Inn without complaints. No one seemed really enthused about this. Shikamaru was still annoyed by Ino and even Naruto.

"Why are we doing this again, Shika-kun?" Ino asked right after they walked through the town gate.

A vein popped on Shikamaru's forehead. "Don't call me that," He growled. "These two guys, Kankuro-sama and Gaara-sama, asked us to save their sister and the country from an evil overlord." _All I want to do is meet this princess just to see if the stories are true._ Shikamaru sighed and looked up at the clouds.

"It sounds lame to me. Let's leave them and go do our own 'adventure'." Ino offered and leaned towards Shikamaru.

He sighed again and put a finger in his hear. _I don't want to hear any of this._

Several minutes later all was still surprisingly quiet as the group walked on. Just when things seemed to finally be calming down, a loud growling noise was heard.

"What was that!" Sakura cried out and immediately stopped. Everyone stopped too when she did.

Naruto held his stomach as his cheeks turned a bright red. "Uh…that was my stomach." He cheesed and rubbed the back of his head.

"GOOD JOB, NARUTO!" Ino shouted and smacked him over the head. "Thanks for scaring us half to death!"

"OW!" Naruto rubbed his head where Ino hit him. Once the pain dissipated he turned towards Kankuro and started to talk to him. "Hey weird prince dude! You said you brought food, right? I want some!"

Kankuro turned and glared at Naruto as his eyebrow twitched. _"Weird prince dude"? He has no respect._ "That's Prince Kankuro to you." He said and threw a dry loaf at Naruto.

"What the hell is this?" Naruto closed his eyes and grimaced.

"We have to ration what we eat," Kankuro informed then began to walk again with everyone but Naruto following him. "But that's a special loaf filled with certain ingredients that will fill you up and keep you going for hours."

"I'd take shitty porridge over this crap any day." Naruto commented under his breath and caught up with everyone else.

Once again the same noise was heard coming from the forest. It startled everyone and they stopped once more. To be protective and cautious, everyone got into their fighting positions.

"I thought you said it was your stomach!" Shikamaru hollered at Naruto.

"That's what I thought! I mean, it felt like it because these weirdos don't feed us!" Naurto hollered back and pointed to Kankuro.

"If you don't like the food, then starve." Gaara hissed. He was clearly annoyed with Naruto at this point.

"Um…guys. I don't thing you should be arguing right now…." Sakura nervously advised.

"And why not?" Naruto pouted.

Sakura didn't say anything and just pointed up into the air.

There, still within the trees, crawled out a large spider demon. Its large menacing fangs hung out of its mouth with fresh blood dripping from them. Every step that it took caused the earth below it to tremble. The demon kept wailing and growling; it was looking for its next meal.

"AH! A SPIDER! I so hate SPIDERS!" Ino screamed at the top of her lungs. She doubled over and covered her head. "Tell me when it's over!"

Kankuro and Gaara both looked over and glared at her.

_This is going to be troublesome._ Shikamaru said to himself as he drew his sword and looked at Ino then back at the spider.

The spider continued to growl and gnarl at the group. It then jumped high into the air and landed almost on top of them. The force of the crash landing was so hard that it shook the ground and made everyone off balance.

"Ngh…this isn't a good place for you, Ino." Sakura strained as she dragged Ino off to the side and away from the fighting.

"What are you doing with her? Isn't she going to fight?" Gaara coldly asked.

"Ino's in no condition to fight. The ale must still be having an effect on her because she's always up for fighting." Sakura lied. _I can't tell them that it's because of the spider demon. Ino seriously hates spiders. We've never seen one this big before so Ino must be really scared out of her mind. _She thought and rejoined the group to fight in Ino's spot.

Gaara sighed and placed his hands together. "Sand bullets!" He shouted. As if they were the real thing, hundreds of bullet-shaped sand clumps flew out of the ground. They hit the enormous spider with such force that it was rendered delirious. "Now Kankuro!" Gaara shouted.

Kankuro widely grinned. "I can't tell you how long I've wanted to try this out on a real demon!"

"Shut up and do it already!" Gaara warned as the spider was starting to get it's balance back and getting ready to attack again.

Kankuro growled and ignored his brother. "Puppet mastery: extended strings!" He commanded. Immediately tiny little threads came out from his fingertips and attached themselves onto the spider. Kankuro sharply pulled both of his arms back and made the demon fall to its side. After letting go of the strings, they rapidly flew towards the demon and tightly tied themselves around it. With no words of command, Gaara placed two fingers in front of his face and concentrated on the spider demon. The sand that was shot at it before rose up from inside of the spider and engulfed it; crushing it to death. Once there was no more movement, the giant demon started to sink into the ground.

Sakura, Shikamaru and Naruto all stood in shock at the Princes' performance. "That…that was amazing!" Sakura cheered.

"HEY! I thought we were supposed to do the fighting? Isn't that why you hired us?" Naruto shouted and pointed his finger at Kankuro again. "You don't need us after all!"

"Pipe down, Naruto. You're being troublesome." Shikamaru groaned while he had his finger in his ear. _Naruto's right though. They DID hire us to fight for them but yet they just destroyed that demon…without breaking a sweat nonetheless._

"Don't point. It's not polite," Kankuro glared at Naruto. Sakura and Shikamaru raised their eyebrows, but Naruto just continued to growl at Kankuro. "Anyway," Kankuro started again, now looking at Shikamaru though Naruto was still steaming. "After seeing your teammate react that way, I knew we had to help out. Plus, we wanted to try out our new tactics on real demons to see the true effect."

"Well…we know they work alright." Naruto huffed and turned his head away.

"Whatever. We still need your help. General Sasuke is not to be taken lightly. Gaara's and my strength together still isn't enough to fight him." Kankuro cleared his throat and continued. _And also to be bodyguards for Gaara. I can't let Sasuke get him; Gaara has the Stone of Chakra in his headpiece. If he gets a hold of it, who knows what will happen. By the look of the demon just now and the one yesterday, Sasuke must've already started using the Stone of Fire; the one with Temari. If this is what happens with that stone, I don't want to see what happens when Sasuke gets a hold of Gaara's too._ "Ungh…." Kankuro cringed. _Damn, I should've saved Temari when I had the chance. They're already on the move to get us. I hope they don't realize that they can reach ultimate potential with both stones. I just wish mother and father told Temari and Gaara about this; then we wouldn't be in this mess._

"Is…is it finally over?" Ino timidly asked as she cautiously looked around. The spider demon was just finishing being absorbed into the ground. A small dust cloud formed when the demon completely disappeared. _Thank gawd that's over with. _"Huh? Sakura?"

"Just making sure you're alright. This is an ointment that's absorbed through the skin and gets rid of any toxins left lingering in your body." Sakura informed as she placed a green-tinted paste on Ino's forehead. "Actually, I just told them that you were still drunk. I didn't want to tell them that you're afraid of spiders. But I'm going to put this ointment on you anyway just in case you really still are affected by the ale." She whispered.

Ino scowled at Sakura. She then realized that Sakura actually stuck up for her and saved her skin. "Th…thanks, Sakura." Ino thanked and slowly stood up.

Kankuro quickly surveyed the area. _We need to move even quicker since things aren't looking good. Chances are it's going to take a lot longer to get to the castle from demons and other people stopping us. I can't tell everyone just yet though because who knows how they'll react. I must be getting desperate if I'm keeping them around this long. _"Alright, we need to quicken our pace since we lost some time with that battle." He ordered and started to walk away.


	6. Chapter 6

**Author's Note:** Yay! Finally the sixth chapter is up! Yeah...so I've been busy with school/work, my other fic _(The Clouds Are Nice)_, and a bunch of other crap. Well...(i dunno if i've mentioned this before, if so...i don't feel like checking because i'm lazy like that!) i'm planning on taking this fan fiction and turning it into a "real" fiction. I've been working on the character sketches for the "real" characters since I hope to turn it into a comic. I'll keep you updated and starting next chapter I'll start posting bios and whatnot of the "real" characters. Anyway, onto the reviews:

**Heart of pure ruby:** It's always good to have my fans who like my other story(ies) like this one! I can't wait either! But not to dissapoint you, but it prolly won't be for a long while. We'll see about that king thing with Shikamaru ;).

**Lil enchantress:** I tried getting to your fic, but it wouldn't let me...never fear for I will keep trying! Hmm...never thought of a sakura/kankuro pairing...i'm just kinda making kankuro to be one of those "ladies men" who like to flirt with the girls (almost). I'll have to ponder on that some.

**dittogrrl: **Yeah, Ino is a wimp I guess...lol. If it was me I would be afraid of that spider too! I wouldn't have the same reaction as Ino though. But just wait until you see Ino's powers revealed, you'll be surprised. I ahve some fun things instore for this story!

**Lala lola:** That's cool you have a screenname now. It is a pain when stories won't accept annonymous reviews, but you don't have to worry about that with me since I do accept them.

**Dammit the stupid line won't work! Oh well...i'll figure out something to put here.**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto

Dream Fighters

**Chapter 6**

"Bastard! You took the last veggie stick!" Ino shouted as she reached across the table for Naruto.

Naruto stuck his tongue out at Ino as he held the piece of food in her face. "After Kankuro-sama made us walk non-stop through all that treacherous land, I'm famished! I deserve the food more than you!" He boasted then stuffed the food in his mouth.

"We didn't travel THAT far." Shikamaru mentioned and sunk into his chair.

"Well…if you didn't run off into the forest thinking that you saw a demon, you wouldn't be so 'tired'." Gaara coldly advised.

"I'm telling you, I DID see a demon!" Naruto jumped up, slamming his hands on the table, and shouted.

Kankuro sighed and leaned over to Shikamaru. "Is he like this all of the time?" He whispered.

"Oh yeah." Shikamaru closed his eyes and rubbed his forehead. _How troublesome._

Sakura ignored everyone and stared out of the pub's window. The sky was fairly bright but was quickly turning a golden-orange. "Kankuro-sama, are we going to stay in this town tonight, or are we going to try and make it to our original destination before it gets too dark?" She asked after she turned around to somewhat rejoin.

Kankuro heavily sighed this time. "No. We're going to stay here in this small villiage for the night. Nano is still a far ways away from here, so we won't make it in time."

"Oh…ok." Sakura sighed at his response and went back to look out of the window. _I can't believe our world as we know it is in danger. Out of anyone they could've chosen, Kankuro-sama and Gaara-sama want us to save the country, and their sister too. Our team is so dysfunctional; they haven't seen the worst of it. Can we really save the world?_ She thought as she watched the sun set lower.

_What's eating Sakura? She's been out of it ever since we fought that spider demon._ Shikamaru said to himself when he noticed Sakura being unsociable. Images of the battles with the previous two demons flashed in his mind. _Ugh…this whole thing is troublesome._ Shikamaru deeply sighed.

"I don't mean to be an outcast, but I think I'm going to turn in early tonight." Sakura stood up and addressed.

"WHAT! It's still light out, Sakura!" Ino wailed after slamming down her beer mug. "You're never any fun. No wonder the boys don't like you." She harassed.

Sakura glared at Ino before closing her eyes and sighing. "I just have something things on my mind." She quietly said and walked outside.

"I don't know what she possibly has to think about." Ino lowly grumbled to herself and drank up the rest of her beer. _What a sissy she is._

Walking outside on the way to the rooms, Sakura wrapped her arms around her waist and stared down at the ground she was walking on. The inn and pub wasn't the best quality, or best looking, but Kankuro required that he and Gaara stayed in "low-profile"; even if it meant staying in the ghetto.

"One thousand five hundred and twenty-eight…one thousand five hundred and twenty-nine…one thousand five hundred and thirty…." A young man wearily called out.

Sakura heard the person and looked in the direction of where it was coming from. By a small patch of trees between two houses, a young man was trying to do push-ups with one hand. She intriguingly watched him in amazement of his feats. He didn't notice Sakura watching him and continued to struggle on.

"One thousand…five hundred…sixty-" The young man collapsed before finishing.

"Oh no!" Sakura shrieked and ran to the young man's side. She placed her hand on his wrist after kneeling next to him. "Whew…at least he still has a pulse."

"Ungh…who…who are you?" He labored to say when he opened his eyes to see who was by him.

Sakura blushed bright red. "My…my name is Haruno Sakura. I was passing by when I saw you collapse." She answered, letting go of his hand.

"Rock Lee. It's a pleasure to meet you, Haruno Sakura." He immediately sat up as if he'd never fallen over.

_What amazing stamina! He's acting as if nothing ever happened. I wish I could be that strong. _Sakura thought and blushed even more.

"Now if you will excuse men." Lee said and went back into his push-up position. "One…two…three…."

"Wait a minute! You shouldn't be doing that if you just collapsed! You'll strain your body too much." Sakura reprimanded.

"No. I must complete two thousand push-ups before I can do four thousand leg kicks." Lee responded, still doing his push-ups.

"That's insane! A person shouldn't put that much stress on their body!"

"It's the springtime of youth, Sakura-san! One must train to be at their highest potential in life." Lee exclaimed while still doing push-ups.

Sakura began to feel ashamed as she continued to watch Lee do his exercises. _Everyone is so strong except for me. I'm just holding everyone back. _"Um…Lee…."

" Yes, Sakura-san?" Lee responded, still going strong.

"Can you help me become stronger?" Sakura asked sheepishly.

Lee finally stopped and looked at Sakura. "What…what do you mean?"

Sakura blushed again. "I'm part of a team…I help with medical needs and some magic, but otherwise I'm fairly weak."

Lee nodded his head a few times. "You shouldn't feel so ashamed of yourself. Medics are always needed on teams. You play a very important role."

Her face turned redder as she looked down at the ground. _He's right; I can't argue with that. _Sakura thought.

"I don't know anything about magic or whatever," Lee continued. "But I can try and give you a quick lesson on how to focus your energy, or chi. Just something you can use as defense or even back-up one or all of your teammates."

Sakura looked up and smiled. "A…alright!"

Lee grinned and stood up with Sakura following suit. "Alright. First thing you need to do is to hold your arms out like this," He instructed and held his arms out to his sides. Sakura listened and copied Lee. "Ok, now this is the hard part which will take quite a bit of training. Focus your chi in your hands." Still listening to Lee's instructions, Sakura closed her eyes and tried to focus chi into her hands. "Now hit me." He said next.

"What!" Sakura said in shock.

"Just hit me, I can take it."

"Are you saying I'm weak?"

Lee blused and waved his hands. "No, no! I don't mean it that way! Please come at me before you lose your concentration."

Sakura nodded in agreement. Refocusing her chi in her fist, Sakura lunged for Lee and hit him square in the chest. The blow caused him to stumble a bit.

_Outstanding! She has incredible chi control to hit me that hard on the first try. Sakura-san is much stronger than what she thinks. _Lee thought to himself. "Very good…first shot." He was almost out of breath.

"I'm so sorry! Did I hurt you badly?" Sakura exclaimed as she started to examine Lee's chest.

"Don't worry about me. I'm fine. What you need to do is not be so apologetic when you're fighting." He lectured.

"I…I know. But…since I'm a medic and a mage, I can't help but feel bad when I hurt someone. I want to help them." She confessed.

_A mage, huh? No wonder her hit was so powerful. She should already be an expert in chi control. Well, at least magic chi control anyway. _Lee pondered again.

"Sakura! SAKURA! There you are! I've been looking everywhere for you." Naruto shouted before he approached Sakura and Lee.

Sakura immediately turned around when she heard him. Naruto was standing directly behind her with a concerned look on his face. "Na…Naruto? What are you doing here?" Sakura asked.

"Looking for you. You took off suddenly and everyone was concerned." Naruto answered her.

_Right…Naruto is the worst liar ever._ Sakura thought to herself.

Looking beyond Sakura, Naruto glared when he saw Lee standing there. "Who's he?" He asked in an almost aggravated tone.

"My name is Rock Lee, but you can call me Lee." He walked forward and introduced himself before Sakura could say anything.

"What are you doing with Sakura? You better not have done anything to her!" Naruto snarled on impulse.

"Naruto!" Sakura rebuked.

"I assure you that Sakura-san here is perfectly fine. In fact, I was just teaching her some basic fighting moves." Lee smiled and informed.

"Whatever. We're leaving, Sakura." Naruto grimaced, the whole thing going over his head, and grabbed Sakura's hand.

Sakura didn't respond and let Naruto take her back to the pub. _Was Naruto really that worried about me? I never thought he would care that much since he's always so caught up with wanting to fight demons or people._ Sakura thought of before they entered the pub.

"Here she is!" Naruto exclaimed and let go of Sakura. "She was between the buildings doing weird things with a creepy guy."

Everyone stared dumbfounded at Naruto. Shikamaru heavily sighed and Ino giggled to herself.

"I never thought of you to be like that, Sakura" She teased. "Besides, I thought you said that you were going back to the rooms? Or maybe you wanted to bring that guy into bed with you. I won't allow that with me in the same room unless I have a man too!" Ino proudly proclaimed, and assumed.

"Stop it, Ino!" Shikamaru warned.

Sakura's eyebrows furrowed as she glared at Ino. "It wasn't anything like that! I saw a young man doing some extreme push-ups and then he collapsed. I couldn't just leave him there so I helped." _I can't say that he helped me with fighting. I hope Naruto doesn't blab._

"Hmm…yeah. Whatever. So why did Naruto go out and bring you back?" Ino questioned. _The dingbat must've forgotten Sakura said she was turning in early._

Ino's statement fell on Sakura like a huge rock. _So much for my teammates being worried about me._ A vein throbbed on her forehead. "Don't ask me! I was going to our room until I ran into Lee and the Naruto came by."

"Lee?" Ino raised an eyebrow.

"Rock Lee…actually," The waitress suddenly answered as she came by. "Pardon me for interrupting."

"No hard feelings." Ino grumbled and turned away.

The waitress ignored her and continued. "Lee is a local here and frequently comes by to eat and use our facilities to train. He considers himself to be a great fighter, but no need to worry about him…he's very friendly and trustworthy."

Even though he was proud of his "rescue", Naruto pouted along with Ino. Sakura noticed both of them and sighed. _Those two are such a pair I tell ya._

"Thank you for that bit of information, miss. But we must be heading for our rooms. It's getting dark out and we have a long day ahead of us tomorrow." _Maybe I should've hired this guy instead from what this waitress says._ Kankuro stood up and stated, handing the young woman several gold pieces.

"Thank you, sir!" She graciously took the money and bowed.

"Do you freely hand out money like that wherever you go?" Shikamaru stood up, leaned in towards Kankuro and asked.

"Not always. Just to the waitresses I think are cute." Kankuro charmingly answered and walked away.

A huge sweat drop formed on Shikamaru's forehead. _There's royalty for you._ He said to himself as he and the rest followed Kankuro out of the pub and into the now dark sky.


	7. Chapter 7

**Author's note:** Um...oi vey? So I FINALLY decided to update this story after becoming bombarded with work, school, and most recently playing Maple Story (if you're in Windia, let me know!). I have been keeping up with this story and writing it in a notebook I have. My other story, The Clouds Are Nice, on the other hand is suffering some major writer's block. In anycase, I'm too lazy to respond to your comments this time around, but I have posted the first out of several bios for the characters in the fiction version of this story. Feel free to check it out after the chapter!

* * *

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto

Dream Fighters

**Chapter 7**

"You called for me, my lord?" General Sauske's main henchman said.

General Sauske turned his head away from the window he was staring out of and looked at him. "Yes I did," he paused and looked away. "Bring HIM here."

"You…you don't mean."

"Yes. Now do it before I get angry." Sauske harshly warned.

"Right away, my lord!" The henchman immediately answered and scurried out of the throne room.

As he was waiting, General Sauske rested his chin on his fist and looked out at the growing dark world outside. _Lord Orochimaru is a fool. If we can cut out this middle-man nonsense, we would've already accomplished our goal by now. Dealing with these imbeciles that are getting in our way is annoying. Lord Orochimaru doubts the extent of my power. I can't be cooped up here waiting for these idiots to finally do something right._ He thought to himself.

Ever since he and his men invaded and took over the castle, and essentially the country, a looming darkness began to form and engulf everything in its path. The once serene and beautiful landscape was now stripped of its beauty and left with nothing but emptiness and death. A dense, revolting aura weighted itself heavily on the hearts and souls of the townsfolk causing fear and turmoil that began to spread throughout the land.

"You called for me, general?" A young, handsome man addressed when he made his way up to him.

Sauske's eyebrows furrowed. "Not exactly, but I guess you'll do for now." _Can't anyone understand simple instructions anymore? I really need to get smarter henchmen. Damn Lord Orochimaru!_

The young man forcefully placed a fist to his hip and took offense to General Sauske's comment. "How dare you insult the great Inuzuka Kiba! I'm talented and-"

"Enough already! Now listen up before I get pissed off more and kill you." Sauske warned moved a hand to his hilt. Kiba didn't flinch at his statement but shut up anyway. "I need you to search out a group that's making their way here. I would like you to kill them to prevent them from coming any further. Use any method you desire, but just do it!"

Kiba gave a wry smile. _How exciting! Finally General Sauske-sama is recognizing my power!_ He thought to himself and bowed. "I will not fail you! If I do fail, please by your sword sl-"

"BE QUIET! My patience is thinning with you!" Sauske slammed his fist.

"Alright, alright!" Kiba raised his hands. "Before I go…I hope you don't mind me asking, but what or who was it that you really wanted?"

"GET OUT BEFORE I CHANGE MY MIND!" Sauske finally stood up and shouted.

_Jeeze! All I did was ask a simple question; I don't see any harm in that. Now that I'm thinking about it, I hope that Sauske didn't mean HIM. I don't know how strong this group is, but sending HIM is a bit much! There's not stopping HIM once he starts fighting, it'll be the end of humanity as we know it!_ Kiba ranted to himself while he cautiously walked out of the throne room. Once he got past the double doors he used a teleportation jutsu to leave the castle and to search out this group.

Sauske heavily sighed and rubbed his forehead. _If I wanted to I could destroy this place in one blow, but where would the fun be in that? _"What to do, what to do." He exasperated and was still standing from exploding on Kiba. After a brief moment, Sauske stepped down from the throne platform and sauntered out the side door.

Sauske was still perturbed by his incompetent henchman and egotistical hit-man. Walking up a flight of dank and dark stairways, he let everything that had just happen fade away. The intimate flickering of the lighted torches set up the mood for what was about to take place.

Standing elegantly before Sauske was the newly decorated door with the emblem signifying their group that led into the main planning room. An evil grin overcame Sauske as he grabbed the twisted doorknob and pushed open. Though darkness seemed to penetrate everything, a subtle bright light broke through the shadows. In the center of the room was the princess, Temari, encapsulated in a crystal and was fighting for her life. Her movements were extremely restricted, but it didn't stop Temari from running her mouth whenever someone, especially General Sauske, was in the vicinity.

"Well hello there, my dear." Sauske greeted after he approached Temari.

"YOU'RE NOT GOING TO GET AWAY WITH THIS!" Temari shouted even though it would be dulled by the crystal's density.

Sauske chuckled a bit. "Now how many times have I heard you say that already?"

Temari glared at him and clenched her fist. "You bastard…."

"I know, I'm good at it aren't I?" He sophisticatedly stated and began to stroke the crystal as if he were touching Temari.

"Get away from me you filthy excuse for a human!" Princess Temari shouted again.

"Oh! Is that the best you can do?" Sauske chided and then began to use his demon magic to reach into the crystal. "The fun is just about to begin; well…for your brothers at least." He fully reached his arm in and plucked off Temari's tiara.

"What is the meaning of this! What do you think you're doing?!" Temari tried to resist Sauske grasp but the effort was futile.

Before he answered, Sauske brought the Tiara towards himself and examined it. "Your brothers and their newly found friends are getting in the way, but they have something that I need. I used the crystal to extract the power from your tiara to create some powerful monsters and to strengthen my men, but it doesn't seem to be enough. So I need the direct item now, the Stone of Fire, to get the job done right."

"The 'Stone of Fire'? What in the world are you talking about? Release me this instant!"

"My patience grows thin with you, princess," Sauske warned as he set the tiara in a glass box several feet away and then picked up a large syringe. "Oh surely you must know: you possess a great power in that tiara of yours. It alone can level many towns, but with the Stone of Chakra it can do much more. To what extent I don't know, but I would love to find out!" He smirked and stepped back in front of the crystal.

Temari continued to fire glares at General Sauske though she knew it wouldn't have any effect. A moment later she finally noticed the syringe in his hands. "Now what are you doing? She frantically asked and backed away even though she couldn't escape. _I have to stop him! But it's impossible while I'm stuck in here. All I can do is pray for the safety of Kankuro and Gaara and along with whomever they've met._

Before he answered, Sauske stuck the needle into the crystal and injected a liquid that immediately turned into a gas. "In order for me to harness the full power of the stone you have so gratefully given me, you must concentrate all of your energy into one place for me. Since you're so elegantly stubborn, it'll be a bit harder for you to concentrate so I must do this."

"NO! STOP THIS!" Temari screamed at the stop of her lungs and pounded on the wall of the crystal.

"Goodnight, Princess Temari."

"You…won't…get…." Temari couldn't finish her sentence due to the gas starting to take its effect. She slumped over and helplessly slipped into a deep sleep brought on by the mysterious gas.

As soon as he knew it was done, Sauske immediately turned to the henchmen who were intently watching from a distance. They were both extremely excited about what had just happened and what will take place.

"Don't just stand there like the fools you are, attach the connectors to the crystal to start the energy flow to the stone! And don't forget to set up a barrier around the girl. I'm confident in our strength, but I'm not willing to take any chances.

"Yes sir!" They all said in unison and began the tedious process.

* * *

A long distance away from the castle, Kiba appeared in a forest that seemed to reek with evilness much like what the castle had become. Not a lot of light shone through, but there was just enough to cast shadows everywhere.

_Not the most pleasant spot in the world, but this is where I sense this group's presence growing stronger._ Kiba stopped his thoughts and closed his eyes. _They're still a far ways off, but it gives me enough time to properly plan my sabotage._ He finished and sat down on the ground and leaned up against a tree. _I guess it wouldn't hurt to take a nap too._

About an hour later, Kiba shot up from his sleeping position after taking a long, relaxing nap. "They're really close now," He said to himself and looked around. "Jackpot! I sense the brothers there, and they have a pretty interesting group with them too. Hmm…two fighters, a yokai and a mage. Not bad, not bad."

Kiba stood up, stretched and leapt within the trees to get closer to them without being caught; he began his trek for the group and to initiate his plan, whatever it was. Finally stopped and sitting on a tree branch after some time, Kiba intently watched as the group started to come into view. _A very very interesting bunch indeed; I know I'm going to have some fun! I don't know if I should play with their minds or go all out at once. Man…such a hard decision! Ooo…what's this?_ He thought and looked closer._ That young girl is really cute; she has to be a mage. Everything's starting to come together now._

* * *

**Author's note 2:** Ok, here's the first bio for my fiction. This character is called Touya Mikaki and the person who plays him in this story is Shikamaru. ENJOY!

**Touya Mikaki**

**Age:** 23

**DOB:** July 25th

**Sun sign:** Leo

**Species:** Human

**Eye Color:** Black

**Hair Color: **Auburn

**Height: **6' 1"

**Weight:** 187 lbs.

**Weapon(s) of choice:** Jakujou (moon shaped spear that extends out with a chain)

**Likes:** Quietness, sleep, one-on-one training, Princess Akina, and starry nights.

**Dislikes:** Loud and obnoxious people, people who complain too much, doing unnecessary things, people who don't listen, and bad food.

**Quote:** "You're a pain in my ass."

**Bio:** Touya is a generally calm and introverted person. When things aren't going haywire, he's usually relaxing and thinking about his life. He's the leader of the group and good friends with Ryoichi Yamahotu. Before he was born, his mother encountered an evil witch whom placed a curse upon her unborn child. Because of that curse, Touya has been plagued by dreams that would foretell the future; sometimes good and sometimes bad. On his headband is his family crest which is supposed to ward off the bad omens and keep the good ones. But lately the dreams have been foretelling misfortune. Touya specializes in the art of the bow staff, but mainly with his Jakujou.

Thought he's not big with trying to impress the ladies, Touya does seem to unwillingly fall for the distressed princess, Akina. Being assigned on a mission to save her (and concurrently the country), he true intentions are to be with her, though no one else knows them. Even though the two have never met (Touya has never seen her, he only knows a description), nevertheless his will to save her is strong.


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto

Dream Fighters

**Chapter 8**

_Standing in front of two large double doors, the young man and his teammates stood anxiously in waiting. Loosing one of their teammates was becoming increasingly hard on all of them. The air was still tense and the presence of the evil man still lurked about. As the young man stood in front of the artistically depressing doors, the overwhelming guilt sunk in even more._

"_Are you sure you can do this alone?" One of his teammates asked in concern._

"_No," The young man reluctantly responded. "But this needs to be done. I'm sure of it that the princess is beyond these doors, but I don't know anything more. There could be more guards or just her." _

_Both of the other teammates looked at him in despair. "Please…be careful. I don't know if I can handle two deaths in one day." The one said to the young man._

_The young man nodded his head and slowly opened one of the doors to walk in._

* * *

"My gawd! What's with this getting up so early all of a sudden?" Ino yawned and leaned against the outside of the Inn. "Shika-kun, can you please cuddle me so I can fall asleep again? I love feeling your – AHH!" Ino screamed when Sakura punched her in the face.

Shikamaru grinned and sighed. "Thank you, Sakura."

"BITCH! How dare you hit me like that!" Ino barked and rubbed her cheek where she was hit by Sakura. "Since when did you know how to fight or even build up the courage to hit someone like me?" _Damn she's strong! When did she learn that? I wonder if that Lee guy had anything to do with it._

"Sorry. You were getting annoying and Shikamaru needed some saving too." Sakura said out of character.

"Why you little…." Ino growled and went to lung for her.

A vein popped on Shikamaru's forehead. _Now that wasn't fair; it was a bash against me too._ "Forget about it, Ino." He said as he put his arm in front of her.

_Maybe that was a bit much to do; but Ino really was getting on my nerves. _Sakura thought and turned around. _"_AIE!" She squeaked when she almost ran into Kankuro.

"Good morning." Kankuro smiled.

"Uh…good morning…to you too." Sakura blushed bright red and stuttered.

"Ready to go?" He finally asked everyone.

Sakura looked beyond Kankuro and saw Naruto standing uneasy and still in a sour mood. _Naruto still isn't over yesterday. It wasn't that big of a deal, was it?_

"Ready as we'll ever be, I believe." Shikamaru addressed and rubbed his head.

"Alright then. Lets move on out…we have a lot of ground to cover if we wish to reach Nano before sundown." Kankuro replied and began to walk.

"Don't stray off course this time, Naruto." Gaara warned before he caught up to his brother.

Naruto glared and shook his fist. "I TOLD YOU, I DID SEE SOMETHING!" He shouted.

A sweat drop fell down Sakura's forehead as she sighed. _You just don't get it, do you Naruto?_ Thoughts of her training with Rock Lee yesterday swarmed her mind all over again.

"Wait a minute!" Rock Lee shouted as he ran up to everyone.

"Lee!" Sakura squealed when she saw him. Lee smiled and walked up to her.

Ino raised an eyebrow. _That freak is this "Lee" Sakura was fooling around with? My, my girl…you have so much to learn!_ She thought and then turned to look at Shikamaru. _I still don't get it though. How can Sakura get a guy so easily and Shika-kun won't even give me a second glance?_

"Who are you?" Kankuro asked in an annoyed tone.

"I am Rock Lee." He answered, turning away from Sakura.

_So this is that "Rock Lee" that Sakura and that waitress were talking about._ Kankuro said to himself. "What is it that you need? We need to be on our way."

Lee bowed to apologize. "I am deeply sorry. Please excuse me for just one minute." He explained and turned back to Sakura. "Here. Take this."

Sakura looked at Lee and noticed him holding a small burlap satchel. "Um…ok. What is it?" She asked as she took it from his grasp.

"That I cannot tell you. But what I can tell you is that you can only use it when you're in trouble," Lee began to explain. "I just wanted to thank you for caring about me. Mostly everyone gawks and complains at me for working so hard. Just remember this: though I can't come with you, I'll always be there for you."

Sakura blushed and tightened her grip on the satchel. "Thank you. No one…has ever cared or thought about me…this much…except for my sensei." _OH sensei…how I miss you. You didn't die in vain!_

"Are you done yet?" Kankuro sternly asked.

"Oh…um…yes." Sakura sheepishly said and walked back with the group.

_Please be careful, Sakura-san. You're very intelligent so I trust that you won't make and rash decisions._ Lee said in his mind as he watched Sakura and her team walk away.

"Damn it. Why did that bastard come and stall us from our fighting?" Naruto began to complain and grumble.

"It wasn't for that long, Naruto," Shikamaru rolled his eyes. "Since when are you that protective of Sakura?"

Naruto scowled and ignored him. Shikamaru knew what Naruto was thinking. Gaara slowed his pace to be behind the group.

"Can we please not dwell on these petty issues?" Gaara harshly asked.

"Well…maybe if you weren't so closed-off and out there, you would actually understand what's going on," Ino commented in her arrogant tone. "Our little Sakura-chan is growing up!" She giggled and pinched Sakura's cheek.

"Don't do that," Sakura growled and batted off Ino's hand. "Besides numbskull, you shouldn't talk to Gaara-sama like that. He's royalty you know."

A vein popped on Ino's forehead. "Who says so? AND DON'T CALL ME NUMBSKULL!"

"Me. And please stop that fake aristocratic pig attitude." Gaara replied, not showing how furious he was.

Sakura grinned and laughed to herself. _It's about time she got a taste of her own medicine._

Ino huffed and turned her head away from everyone.

Kankuro chuckled to himself and the bickering behind him. "That's enough antagonizing for one day, Gaara. Come back up front please." Without argument or rebuttal, Gaara ran back up to the front of the group.

For the next several minutes everything was surprisingly silent, but a heavy air lingered around. Naruto was still in a fowl mood from seeing Rock Lee and Ino was angered from Gaara chastising her. As usual Shikamaru was annoyed by most everyone. Just when things seemed to finally stay quiet, Naruto suddenly stopped and cautiously looked around.

"I saw it again!" He quietly exclaimed.

_Naruto…not now…._ Shikamaru sighed and rubbed his forehead. "Saw what again?" He asked as he stopped walking when he saw Naruto stop. Everyone else in the group stopped too to see what the matter was.

"It better be good this time." Ino folded her arms and glared.

"It's the demon I saw the other day!" Naruto answered and began to run into the forest.

"Oh no you don't! We lost valuable time the last time you ran off on your own!" Kankuro reprimanded after he grabbed the back of Naruto's shirt and made him stop in his tracks.

"You must stay on the path here in this part of the forest. There are more wild demons and monsters out this way and they don't care who you are; even if you're working for General Sauske. So it's very important to stay together." He sternly explained.

Naruto cringed and pulled himself out of Kankuro's grasp. _But I did see something! If I, or we, don't go after it we'll never make it PERIOD to Nano._ He thought and continued to keep up a watchful eye.

Aside from everyone being annoyed from Naruto's sudden gestures, Sakura was feeling quite different. Shivers went up and down her spine as a heavy aura lingered around her. _Maybe Naruto DID see something. I suddenly got this awfully bad feeling about this place. Almost like someone or something is watching me._ Sakura began to think while she nervously looked around.

"Are you ok, Sakura?" Shikamaru asked when he saw her acting strange.

"Ye…yeah, I'm fine." Sakura quietly replied.

"You sure? Naruto didn't scare you, did he?" Kankuro jumped into the conversation and gave Naruto an almost threatening look. He just gave the same look back to Kankuro but stuck his tongue out as well.

"Can we PLEASE continue on? This idleness is starting to aggravate me." Gaara scowled.

"He does have a point. Move on out, Halflings!" Kankuro added and waved the group to start walking again.

_HALFLING?! These royalty types think they're so special._ Ino screamed in her head. She and everyone else, except for Sakura, started to walk again.

"WAIT!" Sakura loudly screamed to stop everyone. They all glared at her, especially Ino, for the exception of Naruto. "I…I think Naruto may be right." Sakura confessed.

"Oh pah-leese Sakura. I swear you're just as bad as Naruto sometimes." Ino mocked. "Let's get going already! This forest is really starting to give me the creeps!"

"But…but…." Sakura tried to defend herself. _It's true I haven't seen anything regarding something evil following us, so I can see what they're so skeptical. It is possible that it's my nerves getting to me. _She thought.

_It doesn't seem to be in Sakura's nature to lie and do this, so she might be telling the truth. I do sense an evil presence here, but this whole section of forest is bad to begin with. So I'm not going to assume anything and let our guard down. _Kankuro deliberated with himself. "I'm sorry Sakura, I would love to scout out the area for anyone suspicious, but we don't have the time. We need to be moving now if we wish to reach Nano by sunset." He lowered his head and turned to start walking again.

Naruto clenched his fist but quickly released it when he finally decided to listen and follow. Shikamaru gave Sakura an "I'm sorry" look and shrugged his shoulders. Ino completely ignored Sakura altogether.

"Please listen to me!" Sakura begged and didn't move.

"Will you please be quiet!? If you keep screaming absurdly like that there WILL something out there to get us." Gaara chided without turning around to look at Sakura.

Sakura furrowed her eyebrows and took a step forward. "I'm begging you to stop! If we don't find this demon now we all will-".

"All will what, Sakura?" Shikamaru asked and turned around. Sakura was now nowhere to be found. "Sakura? Where are you? This isn't funny!" _This isn't like her. Something's wrong here. How troublesome._

"Huh?" Kankuro stopped, turned around and motioned for everyone else to do the same. _Shit…she was right. Now I'm starting to feel a very strong, evil aura. Ugh…this isn't good._ He thought when he finally noticed that Sakura went missing. "Well this isn't good now is it?"

"IS THAT ALL YOU CAN SAY!?" Naruto shouted and into Kankuro's face. "Sakura's been kidnapped! We have to go find her!" He began to run off again.

"Don't go off on your own! We don't know who or what took her." Kankuro warned again. His once gentle eyes turned into slits now as he grabbed Naruto's arm but he just fiercely pulled it away.

"I'm done listening to you!" Naruto growled and stood his ground as if he was going to fight Kankuro now instead of the kidnapper. As if the situation wasn't frightening enough, a loud crash echoed through the trees. "Uh…ok. I think I'll stay here." Naruto stated with a shaky voice.


End file.
